atw: FW: What do dialog boxes do?

----- Forwarded by Howard Silcock/CCIS on 28/06/2006 12:13 PM -----


"Dawes, Nigel" <dawes@xxxxxxxxxx>
28/06/2006 11:30 AM

 
        To:     <Howard.Silcock@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
        cc: 
        Subject:        FW: What do dialog boxes do?


Hi Howard

Could you please forward this to the list on my behalf.... I can receive
posts, but not reply.

I use "a dialogue box displays". However, you'll find that the Microsoft
Manual of Style for Technical Publications (Second Ed) stipulates that
the correct terminology is in fact as you prefer--i.e. "a dialogue box
appears".

Thanks and Regards

Nigel Dawes
Technical Writer 
________________________________

Systems Research & Development
Aristocrat Technologies Pty Ltd
55  Mentmore  Avenue,  Rosebery
Sydney    NSW    Australia
Telephone : 02 9697 4986



-----Original Message-----
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Howard.Silcock@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, 28 June 2006 10:59 AM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: What do dialog boxes do?

Someone asked me recently whether I thought we should say 'a dialog box
displays', 'a dialog box is displayed', or something else. I told her
what I thought, but I'd be interested to see what terminology others on
this list use.

I said I objected to 'a dialog box displays', because if you look in a
dictionary you'll see that 'display' is shown as 'verb (t)' [Macquarie
Online], meaning that it's a *transitive* verb. (If you're not familiar
with this terminology, a transitive verb is one that must have a direct
object. An example is the verb 'hit': you can't just say 'I hit',
because you have to hit SOMETHING. ) So a dialog box can only display
SOMETHING. I suppose you could say 'a dialog box displays itself', but
that sounds too weird to me. 

Therefore, if you want to use 'display', it'd have to be 'a dialog box
is displayed' or maybe 'Windows [or <application name>] displays a
dialog box'. However, I tend to favour 'a dialog box appears'. Another
option might be 'you see a dialog box'.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Howard



Howard Silcock
Technical Writer
Electronic Systems
ADI Limited
PO Box 14, Deakin, ACT 2600, Australia
Ph: +61 2 6234 6000
Fx: +61 2 6234 6011
Email: howard.silcock @adi-limited.com
Web: www.adi-limited.com


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